Trolleybuses in Sofia
Encyclopedia
The Sofia trolleybus
system forms part of the public transport network
of Sofia
, the capital city of Bulgaria
.
In operation since 1941, the system presently comprises nine routes.
In the 1950s and 1960s, massive development of trolleybus transport began in Sofia. At that time, the construction of new trolleybus routes proceeded especially rapidly, and two depots ("Stochna Gara" and "Nadejda") were opened, with a total capacity of 160 trolleybuses. In 1951, the first Bulgarian made trolleybuses entered service.
In 1987, a new depot, "Iskar", was opened with a capacity of 130 trolleybuses.
The basis of the fleet was the Ikarus 280T (a trolleybus version of the Ikarus 280).
The following models were also in the fleet, in small numbers:
This article is based upon a translation of the Ukrainian language version as at August 2011.
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
system forms part of the public transport network
Sofia Public Transport
Sofia Public Transport is served by the Sofia Urban Mobility Center . The company has a large fleet of buses, trolleybuses and trams which pass throughout the city.-Tram routes:...
of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the capital city of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
In operation since 1941, the system presently comprises nine routes.
History
Trolleybus transport was the last form of surface public transport to develop in Sofia, after buses and trams. The first Sofia trolleybus line opened on 14 February 1941. It was over 3 km (2 mi) long, and connected the city with the Gorna Banya quarter.In the 1950s and 1960s, massive development of trolleybus transport began in Sofia. At that time, the construction of new trolleybus routes proceeded especially rapidly, and two depots ("Stochna Gara" and "Nadejda") were opened, with a total capacity of 160 trolleybuses. In 1951, the first Bulgarian made trolleybuses entered service.
In 1987, a new depot, "Iskar", was opened with a capacity of 130 trolleybuses.
Services
As at July 2009, the Sofia trolleybus lines were:- Trolleybus № 1 Levski-G Residential District — Fifth City Hospital;
- Trolleybus № 2 Hadji Dimitar Residential District — Bakston Residential District;
- Trolleybus № 4 Druzhba 2 Residential District — Hadji Dimitar Residential District;
- Trolleybus № 5 MladostMladostMladost may refer to:Placenames*Mladost, Sofia, municipality of Sofia, Bulgaria*Mladost, Varna, municipality of Varna, BulgariaAssociation football clubs*NK Mladost 127, former name of the Croatian club HNK Suhopolje...
-1 Residential District — NadezhdaNadezhdaNadezhda may refer to:*Nadezhda , people with the given name NadezhdaPlaces*Nadezhda, Sofia, a municipality, part of Sofia, Bulgaria*Nadezhda Strait, Okhotsk Sea*Nadezhda Island, Sitka County, AlaskaShips...
Overbridge; - Trolleybus № 6 LyulinLyulinLyulin may refer to:* Lyulin Mountain, in western Bulgaria, after which most others are named* Lyulin , municipality of Sofia* Lyulin Metro Station, a Sofia Metro station....
3 Residential District — Lyulin 1 Residential District — Stochna gara Square; - Trolleybus № 7 Lyulin 3 Residential District — Lyulin 7 Residential District — Stochna gara Square;
- Trolleybus № 8 Regional Hospital — Gotse Delchev Residential District;
- Trolleybus № 9 Borovo Residential District — Stochna gara Square;
- Trolleybus № 11 Druzhba 1 Residential District — Stochna gara Square.
Trolleybus fleet
As at 2010, the Sofia trolleybus fleet had more than 150 trolleybuses.The basis of the fleet was the Ikarus 280T (a trolleybus version of the Ikarus 280).
The following models were also in the fleet, in small numbers:
- Gräf & StiftGräf & StiftGräf & Stift was an Austrian manufacturer of automobiles, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, from 1902 until 2001, latterly as a subsidiary of MAN. Founded in 1902 by the brothers Franz, Heinrich and Karl Gräf, and the investor, Wilhelm Stift...
NGE152; - Cobra GD 272 (body by the Turkish company GüleryüzGüleryüzGüleryüz Karoseri Otomotiv Sanayi ve Tic. A.Ş, better known as Güleryüz, is a Turkish coachbuilder based in Bursa, which started the business by repairing coach bodies in 1967...
, electrical systems by Sophia company Tramkar); - ŠkodaŠkoda WorksŠkoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
26TR.
See also
- Sofia MetroSofia MetroThe Sofia Metropolitan is the underground urban railway network servicing the Bulgarian capital Sofia. It is the first and only network of this kind in Bulgaria...
- Sofia Public TransportSofia Public TransportSofia Public Transport is served by the Sofia Urban Mobility Center . The company has a large fleet of buses, trolleybuses and trams which pass throughout the city.-Tram routes:...
- Sofia Tramway
- List of trolleybus systems
External links
- Urban Electric Transit - Sofia database / photo gallery - Sofia trolleybus list - in various languages, including English.
- Images of the Sofia trolleybus system, at railfaneurope.net
This article is based upon a translation of the Ukrainian language version as at August 2011.